Closure cap lining machine



C. ANDREW ET AL CLOSURE CAP LINING MACHINE Sept. 4, 1951 Filed March 23, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l o mi E T ad N Z VJ 1 .r A g? 5 m Sept. 4, 1951 c. ANDREW ET AL 2,567,141

CLOSURE CAP LINING MACHINE Filed March 23, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Char/eu- 4777200 frail/1* A dzzte/v ATTO R N EYS 0. ANDREW ET AL 2,567,141

Sept 4, 1951 CLOSURE CAP LINING MACHINE Filed March 23, 1946 3' Sheets-Sheet 5 1! l 1 I 2 a 1 15 i w 2o 1 i 15 a in I 1 2 1a 12 n 39 a? in, l 79 3 5 151 -1 a g) a, Q l I I \75 73 22 17 a 7 -20 32 Pa.

0 l n I 74 l 16 w 1 o l INVENTO RS ckav/es' 41142910 FY0171 MIX/W:

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 4, 1951 2,567,141 QL SU E. CAP IN MA HINE Charles. Andrew and Frank Waitkens, Brooklyn, N. Yeassi mrls; t W, M c i e C m a y, New York, N. Y., a partnership Application March 23, 1946, Serial No; 656,764

(on. 11 s) 1 This invention relates to machines for lining receptacle closure caps, particularly those; caps which are threaded on the neck of the receptacle when in use. In order that the cap may make a. fluid-tight closure, its underface or bottom; which bears against the rim of the neck, is lined with a disk of yieldable material, usually. a faced I cardboard, which serves as a washer between the cap and the rim. It is important that. the lining disk be securely mounted in the cap, that it cover the bottom of the cap and that it present a v have been inefiicient and have failed to produce a completely satisfactory product. It is the object of the present invention to provide a cap-lining machine which is not only more efiicient than any hitherto made, but one which produces a perfectly lined cap.

In attaining this object we have provided a machine which severs the lining disks from a strip of suitable material by punching, them from the bottom up, the male member, or punch, engaging the under side of the strip and the female member, or die, the faced upper side. The disks thus formed have a sharp upper edge and a slight- 1y rounded lower edge and are thus excellently adapted to make a snug fit in the cap and present a smooth face to the receptacle rim. The punching operation is performed at one side of the cap-carrying mechanism so that a solid support for the punch can be obtained. The strip, with the severed disks remaining in situ, is. fed forward intermittently into position above a. wait ing cap at the lining station and adisk pushed from the strip and into the can by a plunger moving synchronously with the die. The punch and die thus perform the sole function of punching and need engage throughout a short distance only and because of'this, wear is reduced to the minimum. The caps are fed to the loading Station of a turntable or rotary dial and moved into openings in the dial by means of a reciprocating slide. From the loadingstation the cap is carried to the lining station by a partial rotationof the turntable and thence to the discharge station. We have also provided novel means for automatically arresting the strip feed when thefear'e no caps passing from the loading station, thereby preventing waste of lining material.

In the accompanying drawings we have illus= trated a preferred embodiment of our invention. In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a closure cap lining machine made in accordance with our invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same machine;

Figure 3 is a detail elevation of the strip-feeding mechanism looking in the direction of the arrows 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken along line 4 -4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional detail taken along line 5-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a detailelevation, partly in section, taken along line 6-6 of Figure 1 showing another view of the strip-feeding mechanism;

Figure '7 is a detail view of the strip feeding ratchet taken along line l-| of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a section taken along line 8-8 of Figure 1 showing a part of the stripfeeding mechanism in feedingcondition;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the. same mechanism in non-feeding condition;

Figure 10 is a detail section taken along line Ill-' of Figure 1 showing the means for feeding the caps tothe loading station;

Figure 11 is a detail in perspective showing part ofv the mechanism for arresting the strip feed when thereare no caps passing from the loading station; p

Figure 12 is a further perspective detail of the same mechanism;

Figure 13 is a vertical section, on a somewhat enlarged scale, taken along line l3,i3 of Figure 1, showing the dies and disk-pushing plungers in elevated position;

Figure 14 is a plan view of the mechanism shown-in Figure 13,10oking in the direction of the arrows: |4-;. |4, and showing the strip of lining, material after disks have been punched from it;

Figure 15 is an enlarged sectional detail taken along line l5.:l5 of Figure 13, but showingthe position of the punch and die and the strip ma terial, during the punching operation; and

Figure- 16 is a vertical section along the die ameterof'a screw-threaded closure cap equipped with a lining disk.

In theoperation of the. machine illustrated in these drawings, unlined closure caps are loaded on a turntable at a loading station A and carto a lining station B where lining disks, previously severed from a. stripof lining mate= rial, are forced into the caps; whereupon the linedcaps are conveyedto a discharge station 0; The machine is designed to line two" caps Simultaneously and; therefore,- the punch" and die, and disk plungers are in duplicate; punching and feeding two disks simultaneously. The turntable is provided with pairs of cap-receiving openings and the loading slide is designed to engage two caps at a time. Although this is an important feature of our invention, it will not be necessary in the specification which follows to duplicate the description of these double members.

We shall now describe the various parts of the machine with reference to the three stations, beginning with those parts for feeding the caps from the loading station to the turntable. A horizontal conveyor belt is mounted along the front of the machine as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, passing through a housing 2 big enough to permit the passage of caps 3 in a single file, as shown best in Figure 10. Caps are fed to the upper run of this conveyor belt from a hopper, not shown, and carried to the left, as shown in Figure 1, through the housing 2 to a stop 4 adjacent the loading station A. A horizontal slide 5 is mounted for reciprocation at the near side of the stop 4 and just above the plane of the upper run of the conveyor belt I. This slide in its forward movement engages two caps, the forward one of which has engaged the stop 4, and pushes them transversely of the conveyor belt under a plate 6 and into holes 1 near the periphery of the turntable 8. These holes being of slightly larger diameter than the caps would permit them to fall through were it not for an arcuate supporting plate 9 immediately below the turntable extending through an arc of about 120. During the loading operation just described the turntable is stationary. As soon as the caps have been loaded, the turntable is rotated through 60 to move the caps to the lining station B, as shown in Figure 13.

We shall now describe the mechanism for blanking the lining disks, feeding them to and inserting them into the caps at the lining station. Mounted at the right hand end of the machine is a jumbo roll ll of lining material l2 in strip form. This material is fed from the roll through a guiding channel l3 to a pair of feed rollers l4 and I5, positively driven by mechanism which we shall describe presently, the upper roller being held in feeding contact with the strip under the pressure of two compression springs It. From the feed rollers the strip passes between the punches and dies which we shall now describe in some detail, with particular reference to Figures 13 and 15.

The punches I! are solidly mounted on the bed of the machine. The dies l8 are carried by and depend from a cross-bar I3 mounted on eccentric rods and guided for vertical reciprocation by telescoping cylindrical guides 2|; Mounted within the lower end of each die is a spring-pressed stripping plunger 22 whose function is to push the severed disk from the die at the conclusion of each punching operation. The punches extend through a spring-pressed plate 23 which normally lies in the plane of the upper faces of the punches. This plate yields under the pressure of the dies during the punching operation. What happens is this: The strip is fed forward intermittently between the punches and dies. During each period of rest the dies descend, each shearing a disk 24 from the strip while the spring-supported plungers 22 and plate 23 yield to the pressure of the punches. At the conclusion of the punching operation the position of the die members, the strip and the severed disk, is shown in Figure 15. On the upward, re-.

4 tractile movement, the plunger 22 strips the die of the severed disk 24 which is left upon the upper face of the punch, while the plate 23, returning to its normal position, raises the surrounding strip material to the plane of the severed disk. Thus the disk, although completely severed from the strip, nevertheless remains in situ in it and can be moved forward to the lining station by the forward passage of the strip.

Carried by and depending from the cross-bar H], but beyond the dies |8 are a pair of plungers 25. These plungers are sufficiently longer than the dies so that at the end of the downward stroke their lower ends will engage the bottoms of the caps at the lining station. Furthermore, they are of slightly less diameter than the disks 24. Thus on each reciprocation of the crossbar l9, a pair of lining disks is severed from the strip and a preceding pair, previously punched from the strip, is carried downward by the plungers 25 into the waiting caps at the lining station. Each plunger 25 is provided with a spring-pressed end member 26 which exerts a yielding pressure on the disk and forces it snugly into posiiton at the bottom of the cap. On the next forward movement of the turntable the lined caps are carried beyond the edge of the supporting plate 9 and drop by gravity at the discharge station 0 upon the upper run of a discharge belt 21 which carries them to a waiting receptacle 28, while the punched strip (see Figure 14) proceeds through channel |3a to a receptacle 28.

We shall now describe the driving mechanism for the machine. A motor 3|, through appropriate belting, drives a sheave 32 on a transverse shaft 33, which in turn drives all moving parts of the machine.

Fixed to shaft 33 are two eccentrics 34 enveloped by straps 35 to which are secured the lower ends of the rods 20 which carry the cross-bar I9 and, with it, the female dies l8 and the plungers 25. Thus rotation of shaft 33 reciprocates these dies and plungers.

At the left-hand end of the shaft 33, as viewed in Figure 4, is a crank 36 which, through crank pin 37, connecting rod 38 and rocking arm 39, oscillates a rocking shaft 4| on which is fixed a pinion 42 meshing with a horizontal rack section 43. Thus as long as the shaft 33 rotates, the rack section 43 reciprocates. Parallel with shaft 4| is a shaft 44 on which is fixed a pinion 45 and a pawl arm 46, at the end of which a pawl 41 is loosely pivoted. This pawl engages a ratchet 48 one. shaft 49 coaxial with the shaft 44 and carrying the strip-feeding roller l5. Also mounted upon the shaft 43 is a pinion 5| meshing with a pinion 52 of like size, mounted on the shaft of the upper feed roller I4. Thus oscillation of the shaft 44 results in an intermittent forward rotation of the feed rollers 4 and I5. This oscillation is effected as follows: the pinion 45 meshes With a rack section 53 aligned With the rack section 43, but normally unconnected with it. In order to oscillate the shaft 44 and thus feed the strip, it is necessary to connect the two rack sections 43 and 53. Pivoted to the rack 43 is an arm 54 provided with a pair of spaced jaws 55 designed to embrace a horizontal bar 56 projecting from the side of the rack section 53, as shown in Figure 8, and urged into this position by means of a tension spring 51. Thus as long as the parts are in the positions shown in Figure 8, oscillation of shaft 4| reciprocates the rack 43, 53, and

through the mechanism just described provides an intermittent forward feed of the strip I2.-

The right hand end of shaft'33, as viewed in,

Figure 4, carries a pulley 58 which, through appropriate belting, drives a pulley 59 on the shaft 68- on which is fixed the drive roller of thecap conveyor belt I. Similarly, the other end of shaft 33 carries a pulley 6| which drives a pulley 62 on the shaft of the drive roller of the discharge belt 21.

The shaft 33 carries, near its middle, a bevel pinion 63 which meshes with a bevel pinion 64, on a shaft 65. A second bevel pinion 66 on the shaft 65, :meshing with a bevel pinion 61, drives the Geneva movement 68 which'imparts the intermittent rotation to the turntable 8.

Fixed to the shaft 65 intermediate the bevel pinions 64 and 66 is an eccentric 69 enveloped by a strap H connected to a rod 12, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. A yoke 13 pivoted at 14 to a bracket 15 is connected at its upper end to the slide and at its lower end to a boss I6 on the outer end of the rod 12. Thus as the shaft 65 rotates, the eccentric 69, through the mechanism just described, causes the slide 5 to reciprocate and feed caps from the loading station to the turntable.

We shall now describe the mechanism for automatically arresting the strip feed when there are no caps passing from the loading station, with particular reference to Figures 3, 8, 9, 11 and 12. A transverse shaft 11 suitably journalled in the machine has, fixed at one end, .an arm 18 terminating in a cam shoe 19, and at the other end an arm 8| carrying a roller 82 held in engagement with the underface of the pivoted arm 54 by means of a tension spring 83 connected at one end to the arm 8|, and at its other and upper end to a fixed bracket 84. As long as caps are being fed to the turntable at the loading station they keep the cam shoe 19 in raised position and the arm 8| and its roller 82 in lowered position against the pull of spring 83. This enables the weaker spring 51 to swing the arm 54 downward so that its jaws 55 embrace the bar 56, the parts assuming the position shown in Figure 8, wherein oscillation of the shaft 4| is transmitted to shaft 44 and the strip 12 is intermittently fed, as previously described. Should the delivery of caps fail at any time, the spring 83, overcoming the weaker countervailing pull of spring 51, swings the arms 8| and 54 upward, disengaging the jaws 55 from the bar 56, as shown in Figure 9, and automatically arresting the strip feed. When cap delivery is resumed, the cam shoe [9 is raised and the strip feed automatically resumed. A stop 86 prevents the shoe 19 from striking the turntable when depressed.

The feed rollers may be separated as follows: The upper roller [4 is journalled in bearing blocks'85, slidable in vertical guideways 86 and connected by a horizontal rod 81. Mounted on the upper ends of the guideways 86 and parallel to the rod 81 is a rod 88 on which is pivoted one arm 86 of a toggle, the other arm 90 being pivoted on the rod 8'! and pivotally connected to the arm 89. During strip feeding, the parts occupy the positions shown in solid lines in Figure 13. To raise the upper feed roller, the arm 89 is swung upward until the parts occupy the dotted line position.

The operations of the various parts of the machine being properly synchronized, the lining of the caps proceeds as described. The lining disks being punched from the bottom up, their upper a edges areshar and their lower edges slightly rounded." Thus' as the feeding plunge'rs move them into the caps, the rounded lower edges move easily past the threads of the cap and the sharp upper edges are not deformed. In this way a snug fit and a smooth lining result. The dies being staggeredra'n economical use of the lining material is had, while the extremely short punching stroke-the punches and dies engaging for a distance of only one thirty-second of an inch minimizes wear. The machine is capable of li'ning caps of different sizes, it being necessary only to change'thedies, the feeding plungers and the turntable. Although the machine, as shown is designed for lining two caps simultaneously, the principles involved are applicable to the lining of single caps or of more than two. Other changes also may be made in the machine structure without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. A machine for lining closure caps comprising a fixed punch, a reciprocable die above the punch, means for intermittently feeding a strip of lining material between the punch and die and to a lining station, means for reciprocating the die to punch lining disks from the strip as it passes and for leaving them in situ, means for conveying unlined caps to the lining station, and a plunger at the lining station, reciprocable with the die, for pushing disks downward from the strip and into the caps.

2. A machine for lining closure caps comprising a lining station, a turntable for carrying caps to the lining station, a fixed punch at one side of the turntable, a reciprocable die above the punch, means for intermittently feeding a strip of lining material between the punch and die and to the lining station, means for reciprocating the die to punch lining disks from the strip as it passes and for leaving them in situ, and a plunger at the lining station reciprocable with the die for pushing disks downward from the strip and into the caps.

3. A machine for lining closure caps comprising a lining station, a turntable for simultaneously carrying a plurality of caps to the lining station, staggered fixed punches at one side of the turntable, reciprocable dies above the punches, means for intermittently feeding a strip of' lining material between the punches and dies and to the lining station, means for reciprocating the dies to punch lining disks from the strip as it passes and for leaving them in situ, and plungers at the lining station reciprocable with the dies for pushing disks downward from the strip and into the caps.

4. A machine for lining closure caps comprising a punch, a die above the punch, means for feeding a strip of lining material between the punch and die, means for relatively moving the punch and die towards one another to punch lining discs from the strip and for leaving them in situ, means for receiving caps to be lined with their open side upwards, means for advancing the strip to a position over said cap-receiving means with the punched discs overlying the caps, and means for pushing the discs downward from the strip into the caps.

5. A machine for lining closure caps comprising a punch, a die above the punch, means for intermittently feeding a strip of lining material between the punch and die, means for reciprocating the die to punch lining discs from the strip and for leaving them in situ, means for {receiving caps to be lined with their open side upwards, means for advancing the strip to a position over said cap-receiving means with the punched discs overlying the caps, and means for pushing the discs downward from the strip into the caps.

CHARLES ANDREW.

FRANK WAI'IKENS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Olsson Nov. 26, 1907 Number Number 987,084 993,288

8 Name Date Buchanan Mar. 14, 1911 Bartlett May 23, 1911 McDonald Jan. 2, 1912 McDonald Jan. 2, 1912 Kent May 13, 1919 Baltzley May 9, 1922 Towle Aug. 14, 1923 Jayne Feb. 2, 1926 Walter Apr, 10, 1928 Johnson July 1, 1930 Ferris Aug. 27, 1935 Pearson Feb. 2, 1943 Jackson July 20, 1943 Belada Dec. 25, 1945 

